Amid tense relationship, Dem. Harris to skip Netanyahu Congress speech
4 Min Read
According to an aide to the vice president, the two will meet separately later this week
-
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on July 22, 2024. (AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris refused to be present during Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on Wednesday, a familiar source divulged to CNN.
An assistant to the vice president stated that Harris and Netanyahu are slated to meet individually later this week, citing Harris' previously booked engagement as the reason for skipping the address on Wednesday.
Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with US President Joe Biden on Thursday at the White House, according to a US official on Monday.
Reportedly, Netanyahu will be meeting Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris separately. Talks with Biden are expected to touch on the war on Palestine where the two leaders will discuss ways to reach a ceasefire in Palestine's Gaza Strip, with topics set to include Iran and others.
In turn, a Harris aide announced that the vice president, who also became the top Democratic presidential candidate following Biden's announcement of stepping down, stated that Harris intends to stress the importance of bringing the war to an end in the Strip.
According to the aide, Harris will "continue her intensive engagement on the conflict in Gaza" and "convey her view that it is time for the war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination."
Harris is scheduled to speak at the Zeta Phi Beta sorority's Grand Boule in Indianapolis on Wednesday for a moderated discussion aimed at engaging Black women voters.
"Her travel to Indianapolis on July 24 should not be interpreted as a change in her position with regard to Israel," according to the aide.
The VP was not the only senior Democrat to skip Netanyahu's address. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state, also declined to preside, according to a spokesperson.
Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland will preside over Netanyahu’s address to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday, instead of Vice President Kamala Harris. An aide to Harris explained that her non-appearance is due to a prior commitment in Indianapolis and should not be seen as a shift in her support for "Israel’s" security.
Typically, the vice president, as the president of the Senate, sits next to the House speaker during such meetings to welcome foreign officials, showing support and endorsement. This week, Democrats have chosen Senator Cardin, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, to join Speaker Mike Johnson and stand behind Netanyahu, according to sources cited by The New York Times.
Eight Democratic Congress members boycotting Netanyahu speech
Far more Democrats could skip Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on July 24 than the 58 who did the last time he spoke, Newsweek reported earlier in June.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren announced in June that she would not attend Netanyahu's presentation before Congress on July 24 due to the "humanitarian catastrophe he created," referring to the war on Gaza.
Warren slammed Netanyahu's dismissal of US policy regarding a "two-state" solution while responding to reporters, saying, "He has also made clear that he does not support US policy for a two-state solution that will let the people of Israel and Palestinians develop their own nation self-determination, live with dignity."
She further stressed the need for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal, the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and constructive negotiations to achieve a "peaceful solution" by "both parties".
